Bib with a Belt

ABSTRACT

A bib for a user may include a head section for attachment to the neck of the user and a body section for covering a stomach and chest of the user. The body section may include a belt member for extending around the user to hold the body section against the user. The belt member may be attached near a first edge of the body section, and the belt member may be attached to near a second edge of the body section. The belt member may be directly attached to near the first edge of the body section, and the belt member may be indirectly attached to near the second edge of the body section. The belt member may be attached to opposing corners of the body section, and each of a pair of belt members may be attached to opposing corners of the body section. The belt member may be detachably connected to the body member by a guide member, and the guide member may include a substantially central passageway for the belt member.

PRIORITY

The present application claims priority based upon a provisional application with a Ser. No. 60/858,501 which was filed on Nov. 13, 2006.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of bib construction, in general, and to a bib especially useful for teething and feeding infants, toddlers and adults.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

It is well-known that bibs are used by infants. As is understood, bibs are sometimes worn by feeding adults in a nursing home setting or a hospital, and are almost always worn by feeding infants and toddlers. With infants and toddlers, it is not unusual to have to change the bibs up to 10-15 times a day, not only because of the food which drips upon the bib, but because teething infants and toddlers, tend to drool almost all the time. As will be appreciated, such regular changing of bibs is necessary in order to keep the infant's or toddler's underclothes dry and to keep the infant or toddler from becoming unduly wet. This is particularly important in cold weather locations. Because infants and toddlers tend to teethe for many months, beyond one-year of age, the situation becomes quite frustrating for a mother to continue to have to wash the infant's or toddler's clothes and body over-and-over again because of the limited protection conventional bibs offer. Furthermore, well is common for bibs to be secured around the neck of the user, the portion of the bids that covers the chest and stomach is left free to move and consequently may not be in position when needed.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,269,858 to Rothschild discloses a reversible, multi-purpose bib that exhibits a polyester layer on one side for use in absorbing drool, a vinyl layer on an opposing side for use when feeding solid food, and a removable overlying cotton or cotton polyester blend layer atop the vinyl layer for use when formula feeding.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,269,857 to Cymbol discloses a barrier against soiling to the wearer; this functional, easy to use bib comprises a body made of washable, flexible, durable and non-porous material with a front and a back. The body includes two semi-circular upper sections that protect the wearer's shoulders from soiling while also securing the bib around the wearer's neck. In fastening these upper sections together, a portion of the bib body arcs outwardly to conform to the wearer's upper body. The lower body of the bib forms into a bowed pocket for catching and retaining food particles and liquid thus shielding the user from soiling. The pocket is formed firstly by folding the lowest portion of the body upwards toward the front of the bib and fastening with corresponding snaps on each side and secondly, by folding the bottom right and left corners of the pocket around to the backside of the bib and fastening to the corresponding snaps on the backside. The pocket unfastens for the purpose of wiping and/or washing once removed from the wearer. The integrity of this pocket to retain liquid and food particles is assured and maintained by the special manner in which it is constructed, folded and fastened; by eliminating any folds within the pocket itself; by eliminating any perforations caused by affixing within said pocket, and by avoiding the use of applied trim along its edges. The resulting bib with an improved pocket prevents soiling to the wearer by catching and retaining a measurable amount of food and liquid debris without leaking and is easy to clean due to the ability to unfasten the pocket.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,269,856 to Cannan discloses a dribble bib having a chin section that is located beneath the wearer's chin, a raised section and a wiping section that may be used to wipe the wearer's mouth. The raised section contains a predetermined amount of filling so extend the raised section away from the dribble bib so as to catch food, liquid and/or drool from the wearer's mouth. The back side of the dribble bib is preferably made of vinyl so as to prevent leakage of liquids and/or drool onto the wearer. In addition, the dribble bib also preferably includes at least one adjustable means for fastening so as to fit a wide range of neck sizes.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,714,571 to Vonrinteln discloses a disposable bib for protecting individuals primarily postured in a semi-reclined position, such as those in medical care settings. The bib includes a plastic body having a gathered neck opening, opposing forcefully open side catch pockets and an integrally joined transverse open bottom pocket. The bib is fabricated to provide concave body portion with rippling conduits which direct spillage into the pockets.

SUMMARY

A bib for a user may include a head section for attachment to the neck of the user and a body section for covering a stomach and chest of the user.

The body section may include a belt member for extending around the user to hold the body section against the user.

The belt member may be attached near a first edge of the body section, and the belt member may be attached to near a second edge of the body section.

The belt member may be directly attached to near the first edge of the body section, and the belt member may be indirectly attached to near the second edge of the body section.

The belt member may be attached to opposing corners of the body section, and each of a pair of belt members may be attached to opposing corners of the body section.

The belt member may be detachably connected to the body member by a guide member, and the guide member may include a substantially central passageway for the belt member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which, like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the backside of the bib of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the front side of the bib of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the backside of the bib showing an alternative belt configuration;

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the backside of the bib showing another alternate belt configuration;

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the front side of the bib showing overlap sections which have been opened;

FIG. 6 illustrates a section of the backside of the bib showing the guide member;

FIG. 7 illustrates the layers of the bib of the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a bib of the present invention with two straps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to bibs for to be used by infants, children and adults alike in order to position and secure the center portion and bottom portion of the bib to the user of the bib. The present invention employs a belt which is secured near to at one edge of the bib and extends across the traverse direction of the bib in one aspect where it may be detachably fastened to the bib at near the other edge of the bib and continues around the back of the user of the bib where one end of the belt is attached to a portion of the belt which extends across the backside of the bib.

FIG. 1 illustrates a view of the back side 106 of the bib 100 of the present invention. The bib 100 includes a head section 102 which goes over the head of the user and around the neck of the user. Optionally, the head section 102 may include a overlap section 104 where portions where a first portion of the head section 102 overlaps a second portion of the head section 102, and the first portion is detachably connected to the second portion by a Velcro or buttons or other suitable attachment devices.

In addition to the head section 102, the bib 100 may include a body section 114 which may be various shapes but is shown generally as a substantial rectangular section in order to cover the chest and stomach of the user of bib 100. The bib 100 includes layers of flexible material which may be bound together at the edge 110 of the bib 100. FIG. 1 shows a flexible belt member 112 having one end affixed to the body section 114. The flexible belt member 112 may be affixed near the edge of the body section 114 or at another location of the body section 114. Near the opposing edge of the body section, a guide member 116 is affixed to the body section 114 to cooperate with the belt member 112 by allowing the belt member 112 to move by a slidable connection through a channel of the guide member 116 and maintain a predetermined distance from the body section 114. Consequently, the belt member 112 keeps the body section 116 close to the user of the bib 100 by the direct attachment of the belt member 112 to the body section 114 on one edge of the body section 114 and by an indirect attachment of the belt member 112 to the body section 114 near the opposing edge by the slidable connection to the guide member 116. The belt member 112 may include a cooperating pair of attachment sections 118 which may include Velcro or snaps or other types of appropriate fastener devices. The belt member 112 may be completely covered with attachment sections 118 or may be partially covered with the attachment sections 118. The belt member 112 is extended around the back of the user so that the attachment sections 118 can be joined, and consequently, the bib 100 is held in position close to the chest and stomach of the user of the bib 100.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front side 108 of the bib 100 and illustrates the belt member 112 and the guide member 116. FIG. 2 illustrates a continuous head section 102 without the overlap section 104.

FIG. 3 illustrates a pair of belt members 112 which extend from opposing corners of the body section 114.

FIG. 4 illustrates a single belt member 112 which extends from opposing corners of the body section 114.

FIG. 5 illustrates an another bib in accordance with the teachings of the present invention having overlap sections 104 which have been opened in order to allow the bib 100 to be placed around the neck of the user.

FIG. 6 illustrates a section of the back section 106 of the bib 100. FIG. 6 shows the guide member 116 which includes a substantially central passageway 117 for the belt member 112 and includes a flexible connecting member 120 to connect the guide member 116 to the backside section 106 of the bib 100.

FIG. 7 illustrates that the bib 100 may include three layers 732, 734, 736 or other number of layers. The first layer 732 may be cotton or a cotton polyester mixture; the second layer 734 may be a waterproof material such as plastic or vinyl or other suitable material and the third layer 736 may be cotton or a cotton polyester mixture or other suitable material. FIG. 7 additionally illustrates that the third layer 736 may be adjacent to the skin or clothing 738 of the user.

FIG. 8 illustrates bib 880 which has a first strap 882 on one side of the bib 880 and a second strap 884 on a opposing side of the bib 880. Both the first strap 882 and the second strap 884 extend around the user and join approximately at the back of the user. The first strap 802 in the second strap 884 may be joined by the attachment sections 118 so that the bib 880 remains in place.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. 

1) A bib for a user, comprising: a head section for attachment to the neck of the user; a body section for covering a stomach and chest of the user; wherein the body section includes a belt member for extending around the user to hold the body section against the user. 2) A bib for a user as in claim 1, wherein the belt member is attached near a first edge of the body section. 3) A bib for a user as in claim 1, wherein the belt member is attached to near a second edge of the body section. 4) A bib for a user as in claim 2, wherein the belt member is directly attached to near the first edge of the body section. 5) A bib for a user as in claim 3, wherein the belt member is indirectly attached to near the second edge of the body section. 6) A bib for a user as in claim 1, wherein the belt member is attached to opposing corners of the body section. 7) A bib for a user as in claim 1, wherein each of a pair of belt members is attached to opposing corners of the body section. 8) A bib for a user as in claim 9, it wherein the belt member is detachably connected to the body member by a guide member. 9) A bib for a user as in claim 8, wherein the guide member includes a substantially central passageway for the belt member. 